Searching For Luminosity
by Lupeth
Summary: A threat of war. An unsuspecting Lupe. Join him on a quest where he will make many new friends and enemies, all the while searching for a legendary magical sword. Written many years ago, so the writing is a tad juvenille.
1. And in the Beginning

Once upon a time, there was a city filled with neopets

Once upon a time, there was a city filled with neopets. A few pets could walk on their two legs, others could not. Anyway, there were adobe huts and shops, neatly littering the streets, and young pets of all kinds joyfully played with one another while their parents went about their daily rituals. The city was called Emor.

At the head of the swarming city sat the royal palace, grander than anything you had ever seen. It was at least ten times as big as the largest market in the city. Unlike the rest of the buildings, the palace was made with a rock-solid gray stone, and many jewels embedded the guarded entrance. Atop the entrance stood a shield-shaped royal crest that was striped half red, and half purple. In the middle of it pranced a Lupe figurine made completely out of gold. All in all, the castle looked as if someone had ripped it right out of a storybook and pasted it to the ground.

Inside the marvelous building sat the king, a starry Lupe. He had a blue cape lined with white feathery fuzz, and a great golden crown covered with sapphires was rested on his head. Two armed and armored Draiks stood close at his side, waiting for a command. The king had a majestic and peaceful view from his seat. Blue and yellow tapestries were positioned to his liking, and two windows lay to his right and left. However, what was about to happen would not be so peaceful.

It was an ordinary day, the pets up and running and the king was sitting jauntily on his throne. Suddenly, a red Lenny with half-moon glasses ran into the room, yelling,

"Sire! Sire! A message! A horrible, horrible, message!" The Lenny held up a scroll in his feathery palm. "It's from Tnatum!" One of the Draiks gasped. Tnatum's cruelness was legendary through all of Neopia. He had conquered many small cities with his armies of Darigan neopets, and forced them into being his slaves. His minions were supposed to be ten times stronger than the average pet, and that not even the toughest pet in the entire world could defeat just one. The weird thing was that no one actually knew what Tnatum really looked like. Some said that he was a giant black Pteri, and others said that he was a flying Krawk with 12-inch teeth.

However, the king did not hesitate to grasp the scroll. He slowly unrolled the tarnished parchment in his worn paws, and mutely mouthed the words to himself. A few seconds later, he widened his eyes and dropped his jaw, closing the message. The Draik on his right asked,

"What is it, Sire?" The king closed his mouth and put his head in his paw.

"He has declared war." Was his solemn answer. The Lenny who was still standing there only widened his mouth and stood motionless, paralyzed with fear. The Draik who had gasped blurted out,

"Whatever shall we do?"

"You," The king said, pointing to the Lenny, "Try to _calmly_ warn the town about what has happened." The Lenny nodded, still fearful enough to speak, and left. "You tell our troops what has befallen us, and prepare them for war." He said to the Draik on his right.

"Yes, your majesty." He said calmly, bowing low. He left without a trace.

"And you," The king said to the Draik who had gasped earlier, "Come with me." The Draik nodded as the king stepped off his throne, and trotted on all fours towards the library. His long cape dragged behind him as the Draik followed into the decorated hallway. "Do you know about the Chosen One?" The starry Lupe asked intently, turning a corner.

"I have heard many legends, but to tell the truth, I don't know much." He replied.

"The Chosen One is said to appear in a time of high doubts, such as now." The king stated, still focused on his destination. "He is said to lead us to victory, whatever the cause."

"He sounds very powerful, Sire."

"He is. But the trick is that he doesn't know who he is. For instance, he could be you, or even me. We just don't know it. To find out who he is, we hold a race. Not just an ordinary race, but a race through a forest, a few hills, a valley, and a wide stream. The race is actually not even a mile long, but the Chosen One always comes out in the lead."

"But what if the Chosen One is, well, not the most fit?"

"That dilemma has been solved as well. Somehow, mysterious things happen to those in the race that are not chosen. Rocks fall on them, or the river carries them away so they can race no more. Even the most athletic neopet could not win if he was not chosen."

"I see. How many compete in one race?"

"Five. One for each terrain they must conquer. If none make it to the end, we hold another race, and we keep doing that until the Chosen One is revealed." Finally, the king set foot in the royal library, and started looking for a certain book.

"What must the Chosen One do?" The king concentrated his thoughts on the books, but answered blankly,

"He has to find a special sword called Luminosity, hidden around Neopia. He always finds it by instinct, and then he must climb the mountain called King's Crown, and hold it above his head, saying a few magic words, and everything turns out all right again. It's tougher then it sounds." The Lupe fingered his way through some books, still looking for that special one to unearth.

"What provisions shall he have?"

"Our cook is bound to be preparing the Chosen One's food right now, and the Chosen One will carry... Aha!" His paw had landed on an old and tattered Neopeadia. With a single claw, he gently pulled it towards him. Suddenly there was a little clicking noise, and the king let go of his grip, then threw himself against the shelf. Surprisingly, the whole bookshelf moved inward and quickly to the left, into the wall, revealing a hidden room. Inside of it lay a great block of solid stone, and on top of it laid a majestic sword. The handle was pure gold and sprinkled with jewels, and the blade itself was genuine silver. "The Chosen one will carry this," The king said with excitement, picking up the sword. "The royal sword!"

The Draik gazed in amazement at the beautiful blade. It shined in the sun like a diamond. He almost couldn't believe the jeopardy the king was putting it in. He asked,

"When will the races be held?" The king smiled a satisfied and toothy smile.

"Tomorrow."

The next day, everybody was making a fuss over what was happening. Everyone was at the races, and even those who weren't competing were still tough and ready. The course was all set up in its natural form, and the king watched it from his own raised platform.

In a forest a little off to the right of the racing course, a Lupe stirred. He wasn't what you would call wild, but you couldn't call him civilized either. He was light-purple in color, and he had lived in the wild his whole life. He never knew his father, or his mother. All he knew was his name. He lived on his own hunted meat for all of his long years, and stream water as well. He had spent his whole life running, running from the unknown truth of his past.

His fur was a bit dirty and his claws a bit long, but besides that, he was a strong and healthy Lupe. He had an acute sense of smell and hearing, both things that were important in the wilderness. He was born in the wild, and never dared to take a step onto civilization. Why, you may ask? It was because he simply didn't know how to live like that. When he was in the wild, ideas came to him like instinct, but in a city, he had no clue. Besides, he didn't have any neopoints.

He woke with a start, on account of all the hubbub of the races. He stretched and yawned, wondering what had gotten the pets stirred up. So with quick, agile movements, he trotted to the edge of the forest and darted behind a bush. Cautiously, he poked out through the dark green leaves. Scanning the area, he couldn't really tell what was going on. There were pets exercising, and a few were watching them. Out of the blue, a white Lupe in front of him turned its head, catching him in the act. The wild Lupe quickly ducked his head back under, but it was too late.

"Hello?" The white Lupe asked in her feminine voice. The wild one knew that she saw him, so he popped his head out of the bush and answered,

"Hello." It was his first time talking to another Lupe in years.

"What are you doing in the forest? Come with me to the races!" The white one said gleefully. The wild Lupe considered. _Well, one day out couldn't hurt._ He thought.

"All right." He said, taking his first step onto the town. Following the other Lupe, he admired the adobe huts and fruit stalls, all abandoned for this special day.

"I'm Aleu. What's your name?" She asked.

"My name is Romulus." He answered, scraping the ground with every step of his paw.

"Romulus," She said, seeming to take time to taste the name. "That's an interesting name."

"Thanks." Romulus replied. Suddenly, they were both at the swarming crowd.

"This race is held supposedly to determine who will lead us to victory against Tnatum." She shivered at the name. "Anyway," Aleu continued, "Let's get off that subject. Why have you come here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone comes to Emor for a reason. For instance, my parents visited here so they could write down all the names and locations of trees in the forest. They've been gone for months on end. So, why are you here?"

"Um, just visiting." Romulus lied.

Suddenly, a silence like no other shattered their conversation. The king, atop his elevated seat, stood on his hind legs, an amazing feat for a creature that normally stood on four.

"Silence!" He bellowed, and everything was even quieter than it had been before. "It seems that we have a shortage of neopets for the first race. We have four competitors for the first race, and we need one more. Any volunteers?" Almost more than half the pets their raised their paw or fin. "Hmmm..." The king thought, looking towards the back. Finally he spotted whom he was looking for, and pointed with a single black claw to who he wanted. "You," He said, "The purple-ish Lupe." Romulus moved a paw over his heart and mouthed the words, _me?_

"Yes, you. Come up to the starting line." Romulus already had butterflies in his stomach. All other pets moved out of the way, clearing a path for him to the start.

"You can beat them, Romulus!" Aleu whispered in his ear. Romulus only gulped, and stepped lightly down the new path, feeling as if he were the king himself. As he set foot on the starting line, the king explained the rules.

"In this race, there are four different terrains you must surpass. In each terrain, you may not fly, as this counts as cheating. Let the games begin." Romulus glanced at who he was up against. There was a white Uni, a blue Ixi, a yellow Jubjub, and a red Draik. Before he knew it, the referee Scorchio was shouting,

"On your mark... Get set..."


	2. The Race

"GO!" Romulus bounded at the word, like he often did when he was hunting. Putting every ounce of his hope and faith into every step, he ran on to the forest. Dark shadows covered his eyes as he entered, but his black pupils widened to adjust to the light. While dodging trees as he often did, he saw that the Ixi was in the lead, and the Uni was hot on her trail. Romulus noticed he and the Draik were neck and neck. Eyeing each other, they both quickened their speeds. The Jubjub, as you may have guessed, was in last.

The Ixi spotted some dry dirt up ahead, and noticing her chance, kicked it up as much as she could. The Uni in back of her saw this, but couldn't stop in time to get past the swirling clouds of dust. She bayed and whinnied, darting around like a pet who found out he was blind. The wild Lupe knew better, though, and closed his eyes as he swept past the dust cloud. The Draik mimicked him, and did the same.

Soon Romulus heard a sound like a nail hitting wood, and looked back for a split second to see what had become of the Uni. He saw the sad creature with its horn stuck in a pine tree, whinnying helplessly. Up in front, the Ixi smirked.

The sun soon reached their view as they approached their next terrain, the bumpy hills. The Ixi ceased, not knowing what to do. The wild Lupe saw an opportunity, and sped up ahead of her, letting him in the lead. The Draik also saw this, and as he had before, he mimicked Romulus. Pounding up and down the hills was not Romulus's favorite thing to do, with his paws starting to feel numb from the roughness of the terrain, and the sun beating down on his back like a thousand knives. Yet he still had enough stamina to linger on.

Suddenly, he saw a yellow blur approach him. Could it be? Yes, it was the Jubjub, rolling down the hills as they always did. Romulus gritted his sharp teeth and tried to run faster, but it was no use, and the Jubjub rolled ahead. The wild Lupe growled in anger.

Bouncing and rolling like tumbleweed, the yellow fluff gained speed and was soon much faster than anything the others had ever seen. The Jubjub smiled and laughed to himself, knowing that his chances of winning had increased. But just when the Jubjub thought he had a chance of winning, he hit a spike-like rock, sending him flying into the air. He landed completely off course, dazed and confused, and unable to go on.

Romulus held in a smirk when he saw the Jubjub whiz by in the air, and continued to bound up the rocky hills. Under his padded paws, Romulus felt a new feeling. The earthly terrain was no more, and instead there was dry grass, so weak that it all crunched with every step. The wild Lupe looked ahead of him, and saw that now he would tackle the next terrain, a valley. It looked as if someone had taken a hill and driven a gigantic spoon through it.

The Ixi, sensing that this biome was at her advantage, galloped ahead and in front of Romulus. And as she had guessed, it was. She moved swift and agile through the pebbly valley, not even pausing. The Draik caught up with her. Romulus started to decelerate at the realization that he might not win, and eagerly stuck his tongue out of his fanged mouth. _No,_ he thought,_ I won't give up_. And with that he pulled his pink tongue inside his mouth, clenching his jaw together, and urged himself on with an incredible burst of speed.

The red Draik, aware of the wild Lupe's coming presence, stopped running and toyed with his scaly tail. Romulus wondered what he was doing, but nevertheless continued his astounding pace, eventually reaching neck-and-neck with the surprised Ixi. The confident Draik continued to play with his tail, only more rapidly than before. Quickly he wound his tail round and round his arm, only taking it out to reveal that it had become spring-shaped.

With amazing ability, the Draik sat upon his tail, and with tens of muscles flexed it so that he could use it as a spring. So he soon bounced ahead of the two competitors, smiling a selfish smile. As Romulus and the Ixi watched, still darting down the middle of the valley, the Draik sprung his way to the top of the valley, where some rocky boulders lay. Romulus stared at him in confusion, wondering what he was doing up there.

The Draik, still smirking, lashed his coil-like tail at one of the largest boulders. With a mighty cracking sound, it started to roll down the curved walls of the valley... heading straight for Romulus and the Ixi! The Ixi, baying as the Uni had, turned around and ran backwards towards the start. Romulus, however dodged as quick as he could, like he often did when his wild prey fought back at him. Losing his balance, the wild Lupe toppled over and landed in the dust.

Holding in a snicker, the Draik admired his work for a second, and then bounced off to the stream. Romulus got up, coughing because of the thick dust clouds surrounding him. As hastily as he could, he started to sprint, his large heart pounding like a hammer on an anvil. With every step of his hefty paws, the ground beneath him seemed to get rougher and rougher. Summoning all of his strength, he spurted forward, giving him much pain.

The red Draik, now at the stream, pondered how to get across. The body of water was rushing too swiftly for him to swim across, and there weren't any rocks to hop onto. He looked up the bank and down the bank. Smiling smugly, he bounced to his right, catching a sight of some rocks.

Romulus, however, was not smiling. He had been through harsh times before when hunting, but none of his chases had been this long and severe. His crimson tongue seemed to hang out of his mouth like an old sock, and his breath came in raspy gulps. His paws felt as if he was stepping on nails, and all hope of winning seemed lost. But as soon as he saw that sneaky Draik he let out a giant bark of anguish.

The red Draik heard that wonderful sound and turned around, widening his eyes at the Lupe. Romulus was now streaming towards him, fast as a cannonball and angry as a

Buzzer. The Draik hurriedly bounced onto one of the small rocks, only to find that it was slippery. With a shrill shriek, he collapsed into the water.

Romulus halted at the water's edge. The current was speedy and much too hard to swim in, as he could tell by the Draik's rapid splashing. For a few seconds he almost felt sorry for the Draik. _No,_ the wild Lupe thought,_ it is his own fault he can't swim_. Eyeing the stones in the rushing water, he lightly stepped on the first one. It sat obediently as a petpet as he put his paw on it. Grabbing the rock with his claws he moved his other hind legs gently onto the small boulder.

With a sigh of relief he started to inch his right paw up to the next rock, when all of a sudden, he felt a mighty tug on his tail, and he tumbled into the chilly water. At the last second, he gripped the stone. Soaked to the bone, he gazed behind him to see what had done this to him. There, still holding onto his tail, was the red Draik.

"I will not let you take what belongs to me!" He hissed. Romulus searched his mind for an idea, a strategy. He needed one before his paws slipped off the damp rock. Romulus closed his eyes in deep thought. The cold current flowed through his fur as if it had been algae. Suddenly, something hit the Lupe on the nose. _Ouch!_ He thought, _what was that?_ Opening his eyes, he saw a piece of driftwood slowly float by. Looking around the rock, he saw some Deavers constructing a dam.

That gave him an idea. Jaw agape; he grasped the drifting wood between his teeth. With whip-like movements, he lashed around and smacked the Draik on the forehead with the wood. The Draik limply let go and fell with the rushing current, gasping for breath.

Romulus eagerly scrambled back on top of the small boulder and agilely leaped through the bridge of rocks, never pausing, or else he knew he would definitely fall. Finally, he felt the moist earth under his toes, and resisted his temptation to kiss the ground. Panting, he walked forward and under a banner that had on it the word 'FINISH'. Exhausted, he sat down with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Gasps and whispers spread through the crowd like a plague. "How could the Chosen One be _him_?" "He's just a tramp!" "He's an outsider!" The king silently stepped off his platform. Just as quietly as he stepped off, everyone immediately stopped talking.

When was only a few inches away from Romulus, he stopped.

"You have been chosen." He said in a voice that was serious, yet warm. "Your journey will be one unlike ever before. You must find the mystic sword, Luminosity, and bring it to the top of King's Crown. There you will know what to do. The sword is hidden somewhere, and we are only sure that it does not reside here." With that, he signaled his two guard Draiks to step forward. One held a sword and a sheath on a soft purple pillow. The other carried a very large bag, and by the beads of sweat on his face, you could tell that it was very heavy. "Hand me the sword." The king whispered to one of the Draiks. He handed the king the pillow and sword. "You will wield the royal sword." The king announced, and started to buckle the leather sheath around Romulus's waist. He then silently slipped in the sword. "Wear it with honor." He said, this time a little quieter.

"I will." Romulus answered.

"Now," The king boomed, "You may choose someone to bring with you, if you wish." Romulus looked around. Surely he could not finish such a task alone. Out of the blue, a name popped into his mind.

"Aleu." He murmured.

"Hm?" The king asked.

"Aleu." He said, louder so everyone could hear. "I would like to bring Aleu with me." Aleu, surprised yet joyful, stepped into the clearing. The king smiled.

"Your chariot awaits." The king said, motioning towards a Uni-drawn carriage further up the road. "Drake will pack your things for you." The poor Draik that was carrying the bulging sack stepped forward. "I wish you good luck." The king said, and held out his paw. Romulus, with a glad heart, took hold of the king's paw. The king shook it steadily with a firm grip, but it was also warm and soft.

_The handshake of a nice guy_, Romulus thought. Dripping from his recent watery encounter, Romulus slowly walked towards the carriage. Aleu followed, and behind her was the Draik. Unexpectedly, a few pets started to clap. Then a few more. Someone whistled, and soon the whole town of Emor was cheering. Everyone that is, except for the red Draik. He had just gotten out of the river, about a mile down.

"I'll get that Lupe." He murmured to himself. "And when I do, he'll be sorry."

* * *

Romulus and Aleu had just stepped into the wooden interior of the carriage. They both sat down on the velvety pillows just as the driver, a wizened green farmer Nimmo, cracked the reins. Both Uni were off in a flash, and the clippity-clop of their hooves echoed into where our two adventurers were sitting. Romulus was cold and wet, but at the same time a warm feeling of accomplishment grew from his heart. He looked at Aleu. She had no expression on her face, but in her eyes, Romulus could tell that she was thinking things over in her mind.

Suddenly, he noticed something shiny bobbling around Aleu's neck.

"What's that?" He asked, still staring at the small trinket. Aleu snapped out of her trance.

"Oh, this?" She replied, holding up the bauble. Romulus could see it much better now. It was a small charm on a leather string, shaped like an upside-down crescent moon. In the middle of it was a diamond-shaped gem that cut through the center. "It's a necklace my grandmother gave me. She made it herself, with opals." Romulus examined the handiwork. It was done beautifully, without a trace of a mistake.

"Your grandmother must be a wonderful craftsman." He commented.

"It's not her trade, but yes, I believe she would be rather good at it." Aleu let the charm drop, and once again it began swaying in movement with the carriage. Romulus sighed. He wished he could remember his grandmother, or at least his mother. But those memories seemed to be erased from his mind. Only little tidbits of memories were left. There was one, however, that stood out in his mind like a signpost:

Romulus was only a little pup, and he was playing in a field of daises. Oh, what a wonderful feeling it was! It air was filled with the scent of honey, and he was laughing and rolling around like a ball. Then, out of nowhere, a shadow-like creature stepped forward. He was not afraid of it in the least, and in fact, he stood up to it and growled. But the creature did not hesitate any longer, and it started to extend its head towards him. He did not mind. Instead, he darted away.

The carriage hit a little bump, and Romulus was instantly hurled into reality from the jolt. The outside had grown dark, and lightning appeared here and there, only to be followed by a loud clap of thunder from the looming gray clouds.

"Thunder without rain." Romulus thought aloud, "How peculiar."

"My grandmother taught me that that is an omen of adventure." Whispered Aleu, staring out the window in the carriage door. _Adventure,_ Romulus thought, and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Heritage Exposed

_Romulus was in a field of daises. He was happily sniffing them when the sky filled with lifeless clouds. The flowers writhed and died, and the soft earth beneath him became dry and cracked. Rain poured from the clouds, and a crack of lightning appeared in front of him. He turned away and closed his eyes, but when he looked before him once more, a Lupe almost three times his size emerged from the dust. His eyes were blood-red and his coat a deep purple. Wings black as the sky above him protruded from his back, and lethal fangs curved his moth into a deadly smile. He was a Darigan Lupe._

_"Hello." He said to him in a voice as deep as a canyon,_

"_I will get you. I will. And you can't do anything about it. You know you can't." Behind him, hundreds and hundreds of Darigan pets marched aimlessly through the dead fields._

Aleu watched as Romulus shivered in his sleep. _He must be having a nightmare,_ she thought. She looked in back of her, and noticed that a small blanket was sticking out of their sack of provisions. She grabbed it with her pearly white teeth, and it reluctantly popped out of the sack. With care, she carefully placed the blanket on Romulus, who instantly stopped shivering.

She looked at him once more, and immediately wondered what he was dreaming about. Before she could think again, the old Nimmo that had been driving the whole time pulled back on the Uni's reins and said to her,

"The road ends here. You may now go wherever you want, but the king instructed me to tell you that Meridell, the closest city, is just straight ahead," He said, pointing ahead. Aleu followed his finger, and saw only a dark forest.

"So we walk straight through that forest?" She asked quizzically.

"Right," The Nimmo replied.

"Okay." She answered as confidently as she could, though she was a bit confused. Abruptly, as if someone had tapped Romulus on the shoulder, his eyes blinked open and he lazily stood up, the blanket still draped over his shoulders. "Romulus, we have to travel on foot now." Aleu said, turning to him. Romulus carefully stepped out of the carriage, grasped the blanket in his mouth, and set it on his seat. He yawned a big yawn, revealing all of his meat-tearing teeth.

"Well, let's get going then!" He said, surprisingly enthusiastically. As the old Nimmo watched them, the two Lupes both took the sack out of the back, and began to enter the forest.

"Goodbye, O Chosen One!" The green Nimmo called after them.

"Thank you for taking us this far!" Romulus shouted back. As they both set foot in the forest, Romulus breathed in the wonderful forest air. It was crisp and smelled of pines, and the soft earth underneath him cushioned his worn paws. It was like coming back home again. "So, where do we go next?" He asked.

"Well, the Nimmo said that Meridell is straight ahead, and that the king advised us to go there first." Aleu replied as she, too, inhaled the cool air. Romulus nodded his head in agreement, though he had never actually been there before. Sometimes he caught glimpses of the wondrous city when he was chasing his dinner, but he usually tried to stay as far from civilization as he could.

"So you like the forest?" Aleu asked, noticing Romulus' obvious enjoyment.

"Oh yes," He eagerly replied. "It really makes you feel happy, doesn't it?"

Aleu remembered some times when she had to run errands through the forest, finding ingredients for special meals. She guessed that she had enjoyed them, often because she pretended she was on a treasure hunt.

"Yes," She replied, "I guess it does."

* * *

After about an hour, the Lupes were exhausted because of the weight of the bag. Romulus assumed that they had barely walked a mile all because of that mammoth sack. Both of their tongues panted up and down in their mouths as they reluctantly continued on.

Up ahead, Romulus spotted a tiny clearing with a small stump off to the side.

"Can we take a rest?" He asked when they reached it.

"Of course," Aleu responded, and plopped the bag down with a loud clang. Glad to have the weight off his shoulders, Romulus sat down on the stump.

"It's so heavy, what could possibly be in it?" He asked.

"Well, we're about to find out!" Aleu said. And with that, she pulled off the string that kept the sack shut. Out came food and capes and wineskins and more than they thought could have possibly fit in there. But amongst everything else, a small note stuck out of the pile, begging to be read. "What's this?" Aleu inquired as she pulled the small letter out of the pile.

"Read it," Romulus insisted, coming to look at the letter himself.

"It says:

_Dear Chosen One,_

_You, out of all pets, have been chosen. I am gladly relieved that you are willing to help as we fight against one of our most evil enemies ever, Tnatum. He may be tough, but you are said to defeat him. _

_Anyway, as you might understand, our armies need all the armor and weapons in my treasury. They also need much food to keep them strong. So, I have given you what is left, a cloak, two wineskins, and dried meat. I am sorry for the inconvenience._

_Signed,_

_The King_"

"Why, this must be enough to last us for a month!" Romulus exclaimed, his mouth watering at all the meat piled up in front of him.

"But how are we supposed to carry everything?!" Aleu exclaimed.

As if to answer her question, an Airax landed on top of the large pile, seizing a bit of meat in his beak, and flew off. Now, Romulus knew something important about Airaxes: they always fly in flocks. Before the Lupes could blink, about twenty Airaxes landed onto the pile, their chestnut wings fluttering. Each of them took a morsel of meat in their beaks before taking to the air again.

Romulus chuckled at the Airaxes odd behavior. "That will be sure to lighten our load." He commented. Aleu nodded, and looked at the remaining contents. What was left that had been previously buried were two wineskins, a black cloak, and-of course-a little dried meat.

"We will have to set up camp here tonight," She said, grasping some of the meat into her jaws. "It would be too perilous for us to continue at night." Romulus had to agree. Gazing into the sky, he saw that the moon had risen what seemed like only a few feet above the horizon. He too snatched a bit of meat, and plopped down on the soft earth.

Aleu did likewise, and began to chew on the hard meat. Romulus, having never eaten anything dried before, was curious what it would taste like. When he took his first bite, he realized that it was very rough, like chewing hide. However, the meat still kept its flavor.

Gnashing his teeth together, he managed to wolf the whole thing down in a matter of seconds. Aleu also had finished by this time and solemnly walked over to where the lone black cape lay. She carefully picked it up with her mouth and dropped at the feet of Romulus.

"You deserve it," She said thoughtfully, "You are the Chosen One." And with that she scuffed over to a corner of the clearing, and lay down to sleep. Romulus stared at her, speechless. He had nothing to say.

When he realized that Aleu had fallen asleep, he nudged his head through the gap of the cloak, and felt its worn fabric hugging his sides. He felt the cloth with his right paw. As soon as he touched it, warmth surged through his body. Romulus pulled back his paw in surprise. The warm feeling that had embraced him was not like the kind that you get from a fire, but more like the warmth that rushes to your cheeks when you are smitten.

Meticulously, he stroked the cloth again. Nothing happened. Now thinking that the warmth had been an illusion, Romulus suddenly felt a large jewel where the two corners of fabric met to make the small opening he had poked his head through. It was a medium-sized gem, a wee bit smaller than Romulus' own paw, and had an enlightening crimson color to it. Encircled with gold, the gem reflected the moon's light.

Though the fabric felt thin because this was an old cloak, somehow it felt as if it had belonged on Romulus, and would fit no one else. Puzzlement and excitement filled his mind just because he was wearing it.

Sighing contently, Romulus lay down where he was. He looked up at the night sky, oh, had its silky blanket of violet covered him so often. He thought about the previous hours, wondering how so much could happen to him in just one day. _Perhaps it is only part of my fate,_ He wondered as he drifted off to sleep.

LINE SPACER

Romulus awoke to the alarming scent of smoke, and his eyes began to sting and water. "Aleu!" He choked.

"Romulus, I think that there's a forest fire somewhere around here," Aleu gasped, emerging from a blur of smoke. Closing his eyes, Romulus sniffed the air.

"It smells as if the fire died down a few moments ago." He wheezed. "We better make sure that the fire is actually out," Romulus said, and beckoning Aleu to follow him, he plodded into the smoke. Fires didn't normally happen this time of year, and that was what was bothering Romulus quite a bit.

Finally, the two came to a clearing. The trees crackled and sputtered, blackened with the sickening fire that had raged through the area. The ground was dry and weak, feeling as though Neopia itself would crumble at their every step. Clouds of smoke rose high into the sky as the two stepped through the volcano-like area. Aleu gasped.

"This is terrible!" She cried. Abruptly, Romulus stepped on something that tickled his paw. Whipping his head around, he saw that the thing that tickled him was a patch of sooty black fur. That fur was connected to more fur, which led under the trunk of a fallen pine.

Cautiously peeking above the trunk of the tree, Romulus glanced down and could not believe his eyes. There lay another Lupe, its fur as black as coal. It looked as if its hind legs and tail had gotten caught when the tree had fallen on it; and the poor creature had probably lost much blood and suffered for many long hours. Romulus then came to the conclusion that the Lupe was either an inch away from death, or already dead.

It was an older Lupe, much older than Romulus himself. Even small strokes of gray fur lined its ears. It lay in a peaceful position, as if it were merely sleeping. Warily, he put a worn paw on its chest. _Ba-bum, ba-bum_. It was alive.

Weakly, now sensing his presence, the Lupe turned its head towards Romulus. It had amber eyes that locked into his. Something inside Romulus clicked. Memories, lost like scraps of parchment in the wind, came fleeing back to him. He remembered the time he hunted his fist Snowbunny… The time he accidentally ate poisonous berries… And rich, fatty milk he once suckled… And the black shadow-like creature in that one shard of memory, he saw it as clearly as if it was yesterday… But could this really be his-

"Mother?" He cried in awe. The Lupe smiled faintly.

"It has been much too long, my son."

"But how could- Why-" Romulus was peppered with lost emotions and questions.

"Hush, hush my child. Think about what you want to say." Romulus was drowning in a sea of questions. His long-lost parent looked weak and feeble, and Romulus was afraid that if he touched her again, all of her bones would break.

"Why haven't I seen you for so long?" He finally asked.

"Not an easy question." She chuckled in-between gasps. "Long, long ago, a Lupe called Tnautum swore to eradicate all of us-not all of our kind but of our pack. I do not know why, but it is etched far in our history. Anyway, when I gave birth to you, you were destined to do something great… Something far more powerful than Tnautum himself. He was angered at this, and sent his servants to find you. We kept running, away and away. Do you remember that?" Romulus suddenly remembered running for many days, sometimes without food or drink. _"But why, mother?"_ He had asked, _"For our own good," _Was all she would reply. He nodded.

"Well, one day, an ugly Kougra came and found us. I tried to defend you, but he was much too agile for me to even lay a paw on him. He nearly took you away from me, but left as soon as he had come. I panicked. I knew that if I waited too long, Tnautum would already be here with his forces. So I did what was best for you. I let you go." Romulus noticed that tears were starting to swell in her eyes. She reluctantly blinked them back. "You were not more than just old enough to hunt for yourself, but wise enough to keep yourself out of trouble. Tnautum was so very infuriated with my decision; he tried to find you with magic. Now, all good wizards and witches know that you can only track someone with magic if they _use_ magic. Then you were far too young, but it seems as though some of his magic managed to reach you. It wiped out your memory." Romulus gasped. _No, no this can't be true!_ He pleaded to himself.

"But in turn, whenever you see something of your past, you instantly receive all memories of that thing back, such as I. Do you understand?" She asked firmly. Romulus, now realizing that tears were in his eyes, nodded once again. His mother slowly and feebly lifted a paw to his eye, wiping away the tears. Then, she started to sing in her melodious Lupe voice, "_Don't cry, my child,_

_For now you hear, _

_Of events to soon draw near,_

_A battle to be fought and won,_

_Secrets revealed for a wandering one,_

_A quaint little book unlocks the past,_

_A traveler that teaches quite fast,_

_New lands to see and places to go,_

_Find a sword trapped in the stone,_

_A blue flame smothers the dark,_

_Supported by a white candle, Hark!_

_Remember this, child, and know that for you,_

_Awaoooooooooooooo!_

_Means I love you."_

Romulus started to back away; he knew what was going to happen. Aleu, who had been silently watching the whole thing, her eyes widened in wonder, followed. Romulus, tears streaming down his face, eventually slipped into the non-burnt forest, remembered the last line, and howled.

"_Awaooooooooooooo!_

_Means I love you."_ His mother, in her faint voice, replied with a howl.

"_Awaooooooooooooo!"_ Slowly but surely, the sound died away, and then no more.

Romulus ran. He did not know why, but all he thought about was to keep running, away and away. Aleu ran after him.

"Romulus, wait!" She cried. Romulus did not hear her. His tattered paws eventually reached a calm river, and having nowhere else to run, he stopped. He just sat on the cool grass, tears flowing from his eyes silently like a Corbrall in the night.

_It isn't fair!_ A voice inside him yelled. _You just met her, and she's already gone! Gone forever, gone like the wind that rushes past your paws._ He sniffed as he stroked the elegant waters of the small brook. They calmed him, wordlessly telling him that everything was all right.

As quiet as air, Aleu sat down beside him, looking into the sky as if in a dream. "It will be okay." She whispered. "Whenever you need her, look into your heart, and there she waits." Romulus looked up into the sky too, and saw its calm clouds floating by as if nothing else existed but peace, and for a moment he thought he saw his mother looking down at him from the heavens.

* * *

"So," Aleu resumed after a minute's rest. "You're a Plains Lupe?" She had said it with dignity, something that Romulus enjoyed. Normally Plains Lupes were frowned upon.

"Yes," He answered honestly yet quietly. It was odd to talk to someone about your life for the first time. "It happened when I was very little..." So, Romulus gave Aleu a short summary of his lifetime in the wilderness. Everything was coming back, and even as he spoke, memories became alive once more.

Aleu was intrigued; never before had she seen this kind of Plains Lupe, much less speak to one. Romulus ended: "-And I'm sorry that I lied to you when we met yesterday." Aleu was surprised. It was obvious to her why he would keep such things a secret. She then realized that there were many secrets in her past, too...

After a short hesitation Aleu started, "Romulus, I need to tell you some-" Suddenly, a crackle of splitting wood and a demonic growl rose from the silence. Both Lupes turned around to see a Dire Lupe staring directly at them.


	4. Dire Consequences

The Dire Lupe's eyes were like that of molten lava; his fur seemed to be a mix of earthen brown and stormy grey. He must have been at least twice as big as Romulus in size, and its teeth were sharper than a sword. And though his form was indeed terrifying, it was his eyes that frightened the Lupes the most. Though they burned like those of a dying fire, they held nothing inside of them. No feelings, no nothing. No purpose but to destroy those who crossed its path.

Romulus instinctively lowered his ears and curled his lips back into a snarl.

"Do as I do," He whispered to Aleu through clenched teeth. The Dire Lupe continued to growl menacingly, and started to circle Romulus. Aleu, having never growled for more than a few seconds, was finding it difficult to seem intimidating.

Romulus, searching for a mode of escape, looked across the river only to find more forest. When he looked down the stream of rushing water, he found that it leaped over a cliff, into a quickening waterfall.

Seeing his attention change, the Dire Lupe pounced with a threatening bark. Having not seen the Dire Lupe, Romulus fell to the ground, trying to shred the unearthly creature to bits. He clawed at his face angrily, but the gigantic Lupe would not give up, and tried to get a decent snap at Romulus' throat.

Aleu was a much inexperienced fighter, but watching one of her kind fighting another enraged her. She leaped onto the Dire Lupe's back and clawed it, then crossly bit the creature's ears. It howled in pain, freeing Romulus from his wrath. Instantly he regained his awareness and continued to growl.

The Dire Lupe, now bleeding, snatched Aleu from his back as if she were a piece of garbage. He tossed her into the air, and she landed right onto the edge of the cliff, just barely managing to hold on with her black claws. Afraid, she looked down to see the roaring waterfall plunge at least fifty feet from her dangling paws.

"Help!" She managed to shout. Her claws were giving way, and the grassy earth was getting slippery from her grasp. Romulus, almost dazed by what had happened, looked back for a second only to see Aleu's claws slowly and reluctantly releasing the mere soil that was now her lifeline. But before he could take action, the humongous paw of the Dire Lupe came upon him, sending him flying into one of the open branches of the old and withering trees.

Lumbering in an oddly graceful matter, the Dire Lupe made its way to Aleu and growled angrily in her face. Aleu looked into the horrific face of the creature. The fangs gleamed in the sunlight, dripping with saliva, just waiting to rip into fresh flesh. The eyes... that glare... Aleu had seen it before...

With a loud bark, Romulus jumped on the Lupe with all the force that he could muster, sending him crashing to the ground. Growling ferociously, he swiped a claw across the Dire Lupe's face, right across one of its eyes and down its cheek. The creature got up, howling in anguish, then whimpered, trying to see his prey with his damaged eye.

"Aleu!" Romulus called, rushing to the white Lupe. "Aleu, the Lupe will be up in a second. We need to jump," He added, nodding towards the waterfall. "It's our only hope." Aleu swallowed but nodded in agreement. Romulus reached out with a paw, and Aleu gladly took hold of it.

With intensity, Romulus leaped off the cliff, and both Lupes fell straight down the hastening waterfall. Misty air whipped past their faces, and the roaring of the waterfall nearly deafened them. With almost as much force as a rock, the water finally hit their faces. Romulus' thoughts were suddenly waterlogged, and his sight was slowly blackening... He could feel his body getting limp... And suddenly his world went black.

* * *

Aleu gasped, struggling to keep her head above the water. She looked frantically around her. Where was Romulus? Something furry brushed against her hind leg. She instantly knew what it was. Diving down into the murky water, she saw Romulus' wilted body slowly descending into the deep depths. She quickly grabbed the nape of his neck and managed to bring him up to the surface with her. Rapidly she dragged him onto the grassy shore, panting with exhaustion.

She put a dripping paw to his chest. _Ba-bum, ba-bum_. He was not dead.

_What do I do? What do I do?_ Aleu thought to herself. What could she possibly do? Aleu felt warmness around her neck. Her necklace began to glow. _Oh no, _She thought, _Not here! Not now! _But her thoughts did not change her actions.

Her two front paws involuntarily lifted into the air. They began to glow with a soft white light, and Aleu could feel words that she did not know on the tip of her tongue. She unwillingly spoke them in a voice that was not her own.

"_Varaqua!_" Her paws quivered and glowed violently. With those words, nearly a bucket-full of water flew out of Romulus' mouth and floated in a sphere, glowing just as her paws had. Romulus sputtered and came to life once more. His eyes widened when he saw the ball of river water floating above his head.

Aleu, coming back to her senses, lost control of the water and it splashed all over Romulus' face. "I'm so sorry!" She said quickly.

"What was that?" Romulus asked, bewildered. He was cold and wet, and his body ached as it never had before.

"I tried to tell you before," She stammered, "But that was when the Dire Lupe came." She heaved a heavy sigh. "I have magic blood in me. My father and mother and their fathers and mothers practiced magic, so I inherited it." She paused.

"Also, my father and mother," She muttered, tears coming to her eyes. "They're dead." A silvery tear slid down her cheek. "Tnatum murdered them."

"Why?" That was all that Romulus could say.

"I don't know." She replied in a muffled tone. "All I know is that he did."

* * *

Aleu and Romulus both decided to take a rest. Romulus' whole body throbbed with pain, and he was well worn out from the Dire Lupe's attack. Aleu was exhausted from swimming, though her horrific memories hurt her more.

Romulus stared longingly at the sky. Sometimes he wished that he could just fly far, far away from his troubles, though wishing did him no good. He had cramps everywhere and it hurt him to move, and his wet fur and cape only added to his discomfort. He felt something around his waist. Startled, he stroked around that area. Oh yes, the royal sword that the king had fastened around his waist.

He sat up, and slowly pulled the sword from its sheath. My, it _was_ a beauty. The sword gleamed in the sun as if it were a polished Uni's horn. The golden coat of arms was on the hilt of the sword, and the wonderful silver sword itself shone happily in the sunlight.

"I suppose we should be going now?" Aleu interrupted, breaking the silence.

"Yes, let's." Romulus quickly replied, thrusting the sword in its sheath. Quietly they traveled through the brush, branches raking against their sides and catching in their fur. Dirt caught on their wet paws, turning their paw prints into muddy messes. Neither of them cared, though, as each was having their own silent thoughts and memories.

Almost as soon as they started walking, they heard the murmur of others, and soon worn gravel was under their tired paws. A royal Aisha giggled as a royal Draik chased her about.

"Tag! You're it!" He shouted, and this time the Aisha began to chase the Draik. Aleu smiled.

"So many memories," She muttered. A fruit stand with fancy embroidered cloth stood close by, and a Scorchio chanted;

"Fresh fruit! Baked goods! Sweet meats!" The two Lupes continued on, the gravel scraping under their paws. Soon after, they began to get strange looks from other pets. Romulus wondered why until he looked down at himself. He was still a little wet, his fur coat was covered in braches, and his paws left dirty prints behind him. He and Aleu weren't dressed as fancily either; Romulus only had his cloak and Aleu only had her necklace.

Romulus decided not to focus on the pets but on the stony castle that lay before them. It was large, very large in fact, with crimson flags that flapped in the wind like trapped Gallions. A wooden drawbridge was extended over a large water-filled moat, and only two green Draik guards watched over who was coming in and out.

"There's a wonderful royal library in there," Aleu commented. "And all the information we need about Luminosity would probably be stashed on one or the shelves."

"You surely must realize," Romulus stated, "That I can't read?" Aleu's eyes grew large with realization, but then calmed down. A Draik guard interrupted them.

"Business?" He commanded, cocking an eyebrow at their dirty and tattered fur.

"A quest," Aleu answered before Romulus could open his mouth.

"Mm-hm. Where's the proof?" The guard laughed. Angrily, Aleu snatched the royal sword from its sheath.

"Is this enough proof?" She asked intently, pushing the sword in the guard's scaly face. The Draik's eyes expanded in wonder at the true glory of the sword.

"M-m-milady and milord," He stammered, bowing graciously. "You may enter Meridell Castle."

"Thank you," Aleu replied, bowing equally and placing the sword back into its sheath. Romulus did the same, and followed Aleu into the castle.

A carpet soft as silk flowed like a river from one end of a hallway into another, decorated with the most luscious blue and red colors. Fresh paintings of the Battle of Meridell coated the walls. A dark blue Lupe in shining armor was in almost every one.

"Who is that Lupe?" Romulus asked with curiosity.

"Jeran, one of the most victorious knights in the history of Meridell." Aleu answered. She then pointed around a bend. "I'll be right over there, that's the royal library."

"And what shall I do?" Romulus interrupted.

"You will..." Aleu paused. "You can ask people about the castle if they know anything. That may do us some good." She tried to reply quickly. She eyed the royal library again. "If you need anything, just come and find me." And with that she disappeared into the shadows.

"Humph." Romulus snorted. He knew that he was getting the worse half of the job. He knew that no one would know about a magical sword hidden somewhere that only _he_ could find. So, he decided to look around the castle instead.

Tapestries of royal red and valiant blue hung from the stone ceiling in such a noble matter that Romulus struggled against the temptation to bow. Stained glass windows were scattered about in an orderly fashion. Romulus was awed at how the windows had been done; many looked as though the artist had broken glass and then rearranged the shards to make pictures. What Romulus liked about them the most though, were all the colors that seemed to fall from the window onto the stony ground. They were almost like shards of broken rainbows.

While he was gazing upon them, he came upon on that portrayed Jeran being knighted. _Hopefully_, he thought, _I will become a knight someday_.

The squeaking of rusty hinges interrupted his thoughts, and he turned around just in time to see an oddly-shaped tail disappear behind a large wooden door. Sparked with curiosity, Romulus trotted over to the menacing door. A Noil knocker hung with a serious look on its face, and from that hung a sign with some symbols scribbled across it. Romulus tried to make out what they could possibly mean, but with no luck.

Cautiously, he lightly pushed the door open and peered inside. It was a dark room with few candles, and books were messily spread about the stone floor. A wooden table and a large bubbling cauldron stood right in the middle of the room. Countless numbers of glasses and potions lay almost carelessly on the table, and a red Zafara hunched over them, a blue cape draped over her shoulders and a hat on her furry head.

Romulus carefully stepped inside, the door slowly creaking behind him. The Zafara immediately looked at him with a cold, harsh stare.

"Can't you read?" She hissed angrily. "The sign says, 'closed'."

"I can't read," Romulus admitted, shaking his head.

"What are you, a Plains Lupe?" She mocked, her stare becoming icy.

"I am." Romulus replied. The Zafara's mood changed. Her eyes grew soft.

"Please, sit down," She continued with an awed look on her face. She brushed some dusty books off a chair, and beckoned him to sit down. A little confused, Romulus walked over to the chair and sat down on its stiff surface.

"What is your name?" The Zafara asked with growing intensity.

"Romulus." He answered. The Zafara nearly went crazy. She hunted frantically about, searching for something. She raced over to a book, hastily picked it up, and rushed back over to Romulus.

"Romulus," She gasped. "You're... You're alive." She was talking so incredulously, like she was about to burst. "Let me see your paw." Romulus suspiciously extended his paw. What in the world was she talking about?

She grasped his paw hurriedly and took a long look at his black claws. "So it's true," She murmured. "The prophecy _is_ true!"

Romulus quickly took back his paw.

"What prophecy? What are you talking about?" Now the Zafara gave him such an odd stare.

"You, of all pets, do not know what the prophecy is?" She shook her head. "First of all, tell me of your travels." Romulus was now very perplexed, but the prophecy seemed important enough. So he told her of the great race, his mother, and the Dire Lupe's attack. At the end of it all, the Zafara was amazed, and her eyes sparkled at the mention of Aleu.

"Aleu?" She chimed. "You know Aleu?"

"Yes," Romulus replied. "She has indeed helped me on my way. Do you know her?"

"I raised her since she was a pup." Now Romulus was the one with an awed look on his face. The red Zafara stared ahead with a faraway look in her eyes. "I was alone one night, picking wild herbs for some of my newest spells, when I heard whimpering in the blackberry bushes. I carefully pushed away the leaves, and found her alone and shivering. She was very young, but old enough to talk. She told me everything that happened, and that the only thing left of her family was her necklace." The Zafara paused, and then continued.

"Being a spell caster myself, I sensed the magic within her. I took her into the castle, and secretly raised and trained her. It was fine until I discovered this book-" -She then held up the book she had been holding- "-and from it I learned that she was destined to fulfill a prophecy."

Romulus felt paralyzed from the sudden information. He felt as though he could not move his arms or his legs.

"I'll read to you from the book. It will help to further explain things." With that, the red Zafara opened the leather-bound book. Though the pages were yellowed, bright pictures of Lupes graced the first page. It was lightly tattered at the edges, and a mystical feeling spread throughout Romulus' body as though this book held many secrets to his past. The Zafara began to read:


	5. All it Took

"_It was a long, long time ago, a Lupe called Uela ran away from her family. She had run for only one reason: she had been blessed that all of her children would be heroes. Having not found any happiness where she lived, she had run into the ongoing forest. There she soon grew hungry, and became desperate for food. While wandering, she tripped and was delighted to find that what she had tripped over was a Lupe's paw print. She rushed as she followed them, and at the end of the trail she found another Lupe feasting on a hunt. The sight of food nearly wiped out all of her manners, and she ran forward, ravenously wolfing down the meat._

"_The other Lupe, who was indeed surprised, asked for her name. Uela told him her name and the other Lupe simply said that his name was Sulumor. After each had eaten their fill, they talked about their lives, and Sulumor was very surprised when Mei told him that all of her children would be heroes, for Sulumor had been cursed. He had been cursed by dark faeries when he had been very little, and they told him that all of his children would be wretched and evil. And to top it all off, the faeries had turned his claws black as night._

"_Soon thereafter, the two fell in love. They had many children, all who seemed brave and kindhearted. However, all of their claws were black. Every pup had their own destiny, which was told to them when they were very young. Because of this, they became known as the Prophecy Pack. Their pack grew and grew as Sulumor and Uela became older and older._

"_One fated day, a pup was born like no other. He had dark violet fur and fiery red eyes. Ragged wings protruded from his back like those of a dark faerie. His destiny was not revealed to him, as many thought that it was too horrific to even talk about it. _

"_The pup grew quickly, and as soon as he was old enough, he threatened to overtake the pack and destroy Sulumor. Sulumor was old and weak now, but still strong enough to make one last journey. He took a magical sword called Luminosity, and rode on a boat to Terror Mountain, stashing the sword inside a pile of the Snowager's treasures._

"_With his last energy, he wrote a letter to the pack, telling them that the true heart of the pack lay within the sword, and that the pack could never be destroyed unless the sword fell into Tnatum's wrath. After the letter was sent, he disappeared and was never seen again._

"_When Tnatum found out, he was enraged. He swore an oath to destroy all remaining Lupes of the Prophecy Pack, and to control the power of the hidden sword. The Prophecy Pack was well aware of what Tnatum was scheming, so they hastily scattered around Neopia._

"_Meanwhile, Tnatum managed to persuade others like him to help him in his devious plan, and together they managed to create an army with the help of some stolen potions. They succeeded in finding many of the Prophecy Pack,_ _and destroyed them on sight. However, Tnatum still is searching for the last remaining members and the sword._

"_What Tnatum doesn't know in spite of his many attempts is that in Sulumor's letter, he told one final prophecy, that 'two Lupes born of our pack with pure hearts and born after my time, almost after our pack has become extinct, will rise against this evil like a candle to the darkness, bringing with them luminosity and hope."_

The Zafara ended the story, gently closing the aged book with a determined look on her face. "You must take in what I tell you now Romulus, for it is all true." She continued. Romulus nodded, though his mind was swelling with thoughts.

"You are one of the Prophecy Pack, as I can see by your claws. You were fated to go on this mission many years before you were born, and your kind depends on you. You and Aleu are the Lupes." Romulus gulped.

"How am I possibly supposed to take this all in? I can barely handle a sword." Romulus shook his head. The Zafara merely asked, "Do you know who your greatest enemy is?" Romulus thought for a bit, but then answered with his jaws clenched together,

"Tnatum," He growled.

"No, he is not your greatest enemy, _you_ are." Romulus blinked in surprise. "You decide whether you can do things or if you can't, you decide which path you will take, and you decide whether your talents will be used for good or for evil. It is your will of survival that keeps you alive every day, and it is you who decides your own fate. You are your greatest enemy."

"Romulus, you must have faith in yourself if you wish to survive this quest. And with that you must have hope and courage, for no one would be without these." The Zafara paused for a moment, contemplating things over in her mind. "You also must have provisions," She retorted to herself, and began to rummage around in her dusty oak cabinet.

Romulus sat uncomfortably in his chair, overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility of his quest. He knew that if he did not get to Luminosity soon, Emor would be in ruins. He sighed half-heartedly and looked down at his dirty paws, covered in speckles of dirt.

He then placed his own front paws in front of his face, and stared at the black claws that had been with him forever. They rose like small black mountains, curving menacingly at the tops.

"Romulus," The Zafara said, awakening the Lupe, "I have a few provisions for you and Aleu." She was carrying two small leather wineskins and a medium-sized pouch for them to share. She draped them over Romulus' neck and continued, "There are a few neopoints in there, and I advise that you buy yourself onto a ship called _The Windy_. It will take you to Terror Mountain, and I know a friend onboard who can easily teach you how to use a sword."

"Thank you, gracious Zafara." Romulus replied, befuddled.

"Now," She continued, "You can head on your way, adventurous Lupe. Tell Aleu and go to the docks." Romulus did as she said, and began to pad over to the door, making sure not to step on any books. The stone click-clacked under his paws, and he slowly pushed open the squeaking door. Just as Romulus exited, the Zafara added, "By the way, the name's Kayla."

* * *

Romulus trotted down the corridor, proud of his discovery. _Aleu will be so happy,_ he thought, smiling. He stared for a second at a stained glass window, blissfully letting the colors fill him with joy. The rug softened his paws as he began to run with ecstasy towards the library.

There it was, right there, the library, just waiting for him. Romulus dashed over to the door, and he was nearly there when Aleu walked right outside. Unable to stop, Romulus collided with Aleu, and sent them both crashing to the stone floor. Romulus blinked, and found himself on top of Aleu, their noses touching.

Romulus blushed and backed off, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Aleu," He murmured, "But I found incredible news! Luminosity is at Terror Mountain, stored in the Snowager's treasures. This kind Zafara gave us a few neopoints so that we may board a ship that will take us there." Aleu nodded, and also got up.

"Which boat are we boarding? I know the way to the dock." She asked.

"It's called _The Windy_." Romulus replied.

"Alright, follow me." Aleu said as she began to walk down the spacious hallways. Romulus followed her, slightly flustered. As Romulus walked beside her, Aleu asked, "So you've met Kayla, haven't you?"

"Yes," Romulus admitted.

"She is a kind Zafara," Aleu continued, "She probably told you of my story, didn't she?"

"Yes," Romulus answered once again. "She told me of Sulumor and Mei and of the Prophecy Pack."

Aleu did not reply, but walked briskly as they crossed the moat from Meridell Castle. Wind brushed against their faces as the cheerful summer sunlight bounced off their fur, and with it came hope. Now Aleu lead him down through the middle of the city. Stone houses were strewn about, and others walked around, chatting happily and discussing the present.

Romulus took time to gaze at the buildings, and marveled at the way a few were built. Some were tall, most were squat, and all were made of worn stone. A few had stained glass windows similar to those at the castle, and hardly any had the same strong, iron-decorated doors that resided at the castle.

"Come on, Romulus," Aleu encouraged, "If we don't hurry, the ship may depart. I know a shortcut through some allies; that might help." Romulus paid closer attention to Aleu as she took a sharp right into a murky alley. The stench there was like that of rotting garbage, and Romulus wrinkled up his nose in disgust. Their paws softly went pitter-pat as they treaded into the gloomy alleyway through the thin layer of muck.

The cheerful sunlight seemed swallowed up by the looming shadows, and Romulus felt like reaching for his sword. Aleu also seemed to be wary about the place and nervously darted her eyes around for slight signs of movement. Up ahead, Aleu spotted a small circle of light.

"Good," She murmured, "That's our exit." Romulus nodded, and continued to walk hurriedly through the alley. Something worried him about this place. It was chilly and his he shivered, but not from the cold. Suddenly a fowler stench than garbage reached his nose. Romulus glanced down to see a paw-print not much different than his own upon the filthy ground.

He sniffed it and Aleu paused.

"What is it?" She asked. Romulus snapped his head up in realization and snarled deeply.

"Someone else is here," He replied. As soon as he said that, a blurred figure leapt down from one of the overhanging roofs in front of them. The two Lupes turned to run, but two more figures bounded off in that way also. Trapped.

"So," said the first shadowy figure. He was covered in an immense cloak with a colossal hood, and a crooked, rusty dagger hung around his waist in a tattered leather sheath. Two glowering orbs lit up underneath the hood, shimmers of amusement in his eyes.

"What do we have here?" The figure smiled as his yellowed beak glistened threateningly.

"Two weakling Lupes and their wares? Sounds good enough for me." He then stepped beside Aleu so quickly that he seemed in a haze, and hastily grasped the necklace from around her neck.

"Hm," He mumbled as he dangled Aleu's beloved necklace almost carelessly from a paw. "This'll sell for a petty price on the market." Aleu had to gape when she saw her family heirloom in a thief's grubby paws. She had inherited it from her mother nearly before she… Aleu's mind swelled with anger, and all of her wits were quickly pushed aside.

"Give that back!" Aleu cried, and attempted pounce on the thief. She brandished her black claws and growled. Just she was about to land on him, a feathered wing black as tar quickly covered her mouth and brought her back, another small dagger placed against her throat.

The shadowed figure smiled in satisfaction as his crony, the newly revealed black Pteri, clasped Aleu's mouth shut and vigilantly placed his dagger against her throat.

"Now, now," The figure replied, "Let's not be hasty, or else we might slice your pretty neck." Aleu gasped in horror.

"Don't you dare threaten her!" Romulus yelled, pulling out the royal sword. He got up and staggered upon his two legs like how he had seen the king and Jeran. It was rather hard, but he was focused enough to balance his weight. He snarled and revealed his fangs, as sharp as the swords themselves.

The silhouetted figure merely gleamed at him. The thief's eyes then narrowed like the dagger he was now reaching for as he grasped his hood, pulling it down to expose to face of a midnight-black Eyrie.

"So be it," He hissed, and darted towards Romulus. All of a sudden, a blue blur darted down from the sky and with a loud _wump!_ smashed the other Eyrie onto the ground, knocking him out. Romulus looked upon the pet that had saved him. It was another Eyrie –though this one was blue-, and both Lupes could tell by looking into his amber eyes that this creature was noble of heart.

Seeing their leader fall, the one of the two cloaked villains fled. The Pteri who had been holding Aleu thrust her to the ground and then started after the other. The blue Eyrie looked upon the two Lupes almost quizzically and subsequently grasped Aleu's necklace from the thief's limp paw.

He silently handed the necklace to Aleu. The Eyrie had a wonderful dignified stature that reminded Romulus of a kings', and his gaze was enough to have someone kneel at his feet. He merely murmured,

"Tell me what got you two into this mess." Romulus cast a glance at Aleu and she nodded. So Romulus told him of what happened since he had left Kayla's room, hastily skipping the part where he accidentally ran into Aleu. The Eyrie smiled and nodded with satisfaction when Romulus was done.

"I love a good story." He muttered and then continued. "Ah, yes, hop onto my back if you two wish to get to the docks as quickly as possible. Without hesitation Romulus and Aleu leaped onto the Eyrie's back. "Hold on," The graceful Eyrie leaped into the air, his wings flapping furiously to stay stable. "Sorry, it's been a while since I've had passengers," He chuckled.

Romulus simply gazed into the sky, a slight breeze whipping past his face. Aleu glanced ahead and was excited to see the docks coming closer into sight with every second. The view from the sky was breath-taking. The small huts and houses seemed to be small as a baby's toys, and the great ocean ahead glittered blissfully in the sun.

"We are very grateful, noble Eyrie," Romulus sputtered. The Eyrie smiled and replied, "Yes, it's all in a day's work." Aleu was curious, and decided to ask the mysterious Eyrie a question.

"Do you do this often? I mean, saving us from a trio of bandits isn't something that would ordinarily happen."

"No," The Eyrie replied, his expression suddenly becoming grim, "Normally I'd be looking for my brother. We were separated shortly after my father passed away. It was just luck that brought me here at the right time."

"Did you ever find your brother?" Romulus asked curiously. The Eyrie's grim expression suddenly became even more forlorn. The Eyrie hesitated, and as the two Lupes looked down they could see that they were only a stone's throw away from the deck of the _Windy_.

The Eyrie landed slowly, gently placing his paws on the roughly worn wood.

"Yes," He finally answered as the Lupes clambered off of his back and onto the deck, "He was the thief who nearly took your necklace." And just like that, the Eyrie leaped, taking to the air once again, leaving as mysteriously as he had come.

Aleu and Romulus stared in amazement as the Eyrie left. It was then that they realized the Eyrie had never given them his name. Before they could blink, a weather-beaten and ragged yellow-furred Kacheek approached them. He was tall and muscular for a Kacheek, and scowled at the two newcomers on the ship.

"What're you doing here?" He said in a voice like sandpaper rubbing against stone. Romulus suddenly remembered the bags around his neck. He quickly reached into the bags and scooped all of the coins out.

"Will this be enough for a trip to Terror Mountain onboard you ship?" The Kacheek grabbed the coins greedily and studied them, counting them in his mind.

"Aye," He replied, smiling and revealing all of his rotten teeth. "Welcome aboard the _Windy_." The Kacheek then pocketed the coins and began to speak again.

"Though you two are on this ship, don't think that it's a vacation or something like that. You still have to do your fair share of work, and that's what'll keep me from tossing ye overboard." The Kacheek chuckled grimly. Romulus gazed upon the ship. It was old and the wood underneath him was worn, yet surprisingly strong. Upward were three sails, flapping gently in the wind. On the front bow, a silvery Aisha swabbed the deck, and a tall hooded figure that reminded Romulus very much of the Eyrie clutched the railings.

"Kat!" The Kacheek called, breaking the Lupe's thoughts. The Aisha, with a solemn expression on her face, grabbed the bucket and mop and then swiftly stepped to the Kacheek's side.

"Show this Lupess how to mop, cook, clean, and whatever you do." The Aisha's expression brightened for a moment, realizing that there would be another pet onboard the ship. She nodded to Aleu, and beckoned her to go under the deck, down a small flight of stairs. Aleu hesitated for a moment, but then followed the Aisha downstairs. When she was out of sight, Romulus decided to ask the Captain a question.

"Captain, a Zafara named Kayla told me that there would be someone willing to teach me swordplay on this ship."

The Kacheek grunted, but otherwise ignored Romulus' question.

"Kind sir," A voice replied that seemed calm but sturdy, yet startled Romulus with its strong hint of nobility. Romulus whirled around to see the cloaked figure standing right behind him. "Do you mind if I talk to this fellow aside for a minute?"

The Kacheek merely grunted again, but then answered him slowly yet assuredly.

"Fine. I'll hoist the anchor and then we'll be headed off." The Captain then started to walk away, muttering something under his breath. Romulus could see a slight smile under the large hood, and the hooded figure began to walk back to the front bow.

"Come," He said quietly. Romulus, like Aleu, hesitated, but somehow he believed that he could trust this figure, and with that he stepped forward alongside him, and followed him up to the front.

"Now, tell me where you met Kayla, and why you came aboard." The figure said in that strong voice of his. Romulus scrutinized him up and down, but answered anyway.

"Well, I met her at Meridell Castle, and there she told me to come onto this ship where I could be trained by one of her friends that would also be on this ship." Romulus then peered at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Suddenly, the ship rocked and Romulus nearly lost his balance but grabbed the railing at the last second. He looked up to see the Captain Kacheek on a platform behind him, steering a large circular wheel. The figure beside him had fallen too, but hadn't gotten up fast enough to replace the hood over his head, which had come off during his fall.

Romulus found himself face-to-face with the figure that had once been masked with the darkness of his cloak, except this time he was looking at the large, sturdy face of a Lupe with dark blue fur and piercing yellow eyes. Romulus stumbled back, aghast.

"Jeran?" He asked.


End file.
